What is a ‘Slow Street’?

Slow streets function much like a traditional street, however they provide an improved pedestrian experience along streets with lower vehicle speeds and volumes.

Future flexibility: Curbless Design

Public Works is also recommending that Girard Avenue South be designed as a ‘curbless’ street to allow for future operational flexibility.

What is a ‘Curbless’ Street?

A curbless street is designed with a single flat surface without curb separation between the vehicular and pedestrian zones (i.e. the sidewalk, furnishing zones, and street are all at the same level). Curbless streets provide separate vehicular and pedestrian zone, which is distinctly different from a shared street design (i.e. where the street is designed for pedestrians to comfortably mix with vehicles). Instead, curbless streets are designed to provide flexible and accessible space for festivals, farmers markets, and other special activities.

Why is Public Works recommending a Two-Way Curbless Slow Street?

Public Works is recommending this conceptual design, because:

The Two-Way Slow Street design does the best job of balancing Public Works project goals as well as project priorities expressed by stakeholders.

The curbless design allows for future operational flexibility; meaning it makes it simpler to convert this block to a full pedestrian mall if the land use context in the area changes.

Next Steps

Public Works staff will be sharing the recommended conceptual alternative with stakeholders at the following meetings:

Email Updates

Project Status

Existing Conditions

Existing Pedestrian and Vehicular Use

Many people walk along Girard Ave, especially late in the evenings on weekends. In late evenings on weekends, as many as 200 pedestrians per hour have been counted along Girard Ave S. During the weekday, the number of pedestrians is nearly as many as the number of drivers. Late in the evening, the number of pedestrians is much higher than the number of drivers, as shown in the graphs below.

On average, drivers are traveling along Girard Ave S at 13.7 MPH, with 5% of drivers driving over 22.1 MPH.

Other Use

Freight deliveries, as well as restaurant delivery services (i.e. Bite Squad, etc.) were all observed on Girard Ave S, however no formal delivery counts are available.

A steady stream of people on bicycles were observed using Girard Ave S, however no formal bicycle counts are available.

Girard Ave S, looking north along the block

The Girard Meander

The 2008 Uptown Small Area Plan recommends that Girard Ave S should be redesigned as the Girard Meander, a pedestrian spine between the Greenway, Mozaic and Calhoun Square.

Selection of Girard Ave S

Girard Ave S was selected as a reconstruction project based on the City's 20 Year Streets Funding Plan framework. The framework prioritizes capital projects using a data-driven approach with a focus on racial and economic equity. Girard Ave S was selected as a reconstruction candidate based on the many people that walk along the street coupled with the street's poor pavement condition.

Assessments

Adjacent property owners will be assessed for this street reconstruction project. Additional details about the assessment for this project will become available after further design of the project, including a public hearing through the Transportation and Public Works Committee of the Minneapolis City Council.

Contact

QUICK LINKS

Accessibility: For reasonable accommodations or alternative formats, contact 311. People who are deaf or hard of hearing can use a relay service to call 311 at 612-673-3000. TTY users can call 612-673-2157 or 612-673-2626.

Salary Compliance Notice:State statute 471.701; Notice of Salary Compliance, requires that the City post for not less than 90 days the job title of the three highest paid employees along with their base salary. For 2018 these were:1. City Attorney, $186,4902. Assistant City Coordinator Convention Center, $183,6003. Director Public Works, $181,191